Circuit controller



June 26, 1962 H. v ELLIOTT CIRCUIT CONTROLLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 14, 1959 88 LL, 3 iNSULATION INVENTOR. HAROLQ K [ll/0T7 R- W Hl$ ATM/Mfr June 26, 1962 H. v. ELLIOTT 3,041,429

CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Sept. 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INSULATION INVENTOR. M12010 1 auqrr Y (LEW HIS A TTORNfY 3,041,429 CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Harold V. Elliott, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 839,831 10 Claims. (Cl. 200156) This invention relates to circuit controllers and more switch including a housing that carries a driver member,

the driver member supporting a pair of ratchet members, one of which is driven by the driver member and the other of which is connected to drive a rotatable contact plate.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a dimmer switch that includes a rotatable driving member having at least a portion thereof formed with a polygonal or non-circular cross section that is received within an opening in a ratchet member having a complementary polygonal configuration.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein preferred embodiments of the invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an end View of a foot dimmer switch made in accordance with this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded view of the circuit controller made in accordance with this invention.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the rotatable wheel con tactor that forms a part of the circuit controller as made in accordance with this invention.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the driver member which forms a part of the circuit controller of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that the circuit controller of this invention has a housing which is generally designated by reference numeral 10 having compartments 12 and 14. The housing is formed of any suitable metal material such as die cast zinc and has a bearing hole designated by reference numeral 16. The open end of chamber 12 is closed by a back assembly which is designated by reference numeral 24). It is seen that the housing 10 is staked over as at 22 in order to hold the back assembly securely in place. The housing has side flange portions 24 which are adapted to be secured to a part of a motor vehicle.

The back assembly which is designated in its entirety by reference numeral includes a plate member 26 formed of insulating material which carries the metal male terminals 28, 30 and 32. The male terminals 28, 30 and 32 are held to the insulating plate 26 by rivets 3,641,429 Patented June 26, 1962 having rounded heads 36 which form the fixed contacts for the switch. There are preferably six equally and circumferentially spaced rivet heads 36 supported by plate 26. It is seen that the terminal 28 has an outwardly struck portion 38, the purpose of which is more fully described hereinafter.

The circuit controller of this invention includes a driver member which is designated by reference numeral 40 and which is best illustrated in FIGURE 7. The driver member has a shaft including a circular section 42, a polygonal or non-circular section 44 which in this case is' triangular and another cylindrical section 46 which is of larger diameter than the cylindrical section 42. The driver member 40 in addition to these sections has a central section 48 formed with a slot 50 and with a recessed portion 52. The driver member is formed of a suitable plastic insulating material such as nylon and it is seen that the end of cylindrical section 46 is journalled within the bearing opening 16 formed in housing 10 Whereas the end of cylindrical section 42 passes through an opening formed in plate member 26 and in alignment with the portion 38 of male terminal assembly 28. The slot 50 formed in the driver member 40 receives a pin member 54 carried by a plate or actuator designatedby the reference numeral 56. The plate or actuator 56 is connected with a push button 58 and has a portion 60 which at times engages an extending portion 62 of the housing 10. The plate member 56 passes through an opening 64 formed in the housing and is normally biased to the FIGURE 3 position by a spring 66 which is interposed between the housing and push button 58. It can be seen that when the push button is depressed by the foot of an operator, the driver member 40 is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 3.

The triangular section 44 of driver member 40 carries a ratchet member 68 formed of suitable insulating materail and having a triangular opening 70 that receives the triangular section 44. The ratchet member 68 has ratchet teeth 72 which cooperate with ratchet teeth 74 formed on a second ratchet member 76. The ratchet member 76 is formed of insulating material and has three projections 78 which fit within openings 80 formed in a rotatable wheel contactor designated in its entirety by reference numeral 82. The ratchet member 76 has a central circular opening that fits over the circular section 42 of driver member 40. In this manner the ratchet member 76 is journalled for rotation on the circular section 42 of the driver member Whereas the driver member 68 must rotate with driver member 40 since it has a central triangular opening that receives the triangular section 44.

The rotatable contactor 82 is formed of metal material such as copper and has three contact sections 84 formed with curved sections 86 that are adapted to receive the fixed contacts 36 in a manner illustrated in FIGURE 2. It will, of course, be appreciated that the ratchet member 76 drives the rotatable contactor 82 through the pins 78. The contactor 82 is held in tight engagementwith the fixed contacts 36 by a spring 88 which is interposed between the ratchet member 68 and the driver member 40. It is seen that the spring is received within the recessed portion 52 of driver member 40. It will be apparent that the spring 88 urges the driver members 68 and 76 and the rotatable contactor 82 leftwardly in FIGURE 2.

In operation of the foot-operated dimmer switch of 65 this invention, the male terminals are connected to control application of power from a battery to the main and dim filaments of the motor vehicle headlamps. When the push button 58 is depressed by the foot of an operator, the driver member 40 is rotated by pin 54 to cause a rotation of ratchet member 68. Rotation of ratchet member 68 causes the ratchet member 76 and contact carrier 82 to rotate through the ratchet teeth 72 and 74. When the switch is released, the ratchet teeth 72 ride over the ratchet teeth 74 so that the switch is now in position to cause further rotation of the contact carrier 82 upon another downward movement of push button 58. When the switch is not being operated, the spring 66 urges the push button 58 upwardly and urges the projecting portion 66 of actuator 56 into engagement with the projection portion 62 of the housing. The portion 62 of the housing thus forms a positive stop for the plate or actuator 56.

While the embodiments of the invention as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A circuit controller comprising, a housing, a driver member journalled for rotation in said housing having a portion of circular cross section and another portion of non-circular cross section, a plurality of fixed contacts carried by said housing, a first ratchet member having ratchet teeth carried by said driver member and having an opening of non-circular configuration receiving the non-circular portion of said driver member, a second ratch member having ratchet teeth cooperating with the ratchet teeth of said first ratchet member and having an opening of circular cross section receiving the circular portion of said driver member, a contact plate carried by said second ratchet member and engaging said fixed contacts, and means for directly rotatably driving said driver member.

ZJA circuit controller comprising, a housing, a back assembly closing one end of said housing carrying a plurailty of fixed contacts, a rotatable driver member journalled for rotation in said housing and supported by said back assembly and said housing, said driver member hav-' ing a section formed with a polygonal cross section and having a section spaced therefrom of cylindrical cross section, a first ratchet member having ratchet teeth carried by said driver member and having an opening of polygonal configuration receiving the polygonal portion of said driver member, a second ratchet member having ratchet teeth cooperating with the ratchet teeth of said first ratchet member and having a cylindrical opening receiving the cylindrical portion of said driver member, a contact plate rotatably driven by said'second ratchet member and engaging said fixed contacts, and manually operable means directly connected with said driver member for rotating the same.

3. A circuit controller comprising, a housing, said housing having an open end closed by a plate member carrying a plurality of electrical contacts, a driver member rotatable within said housing and supported for rotation by said plate member and housing, a slot in said driver member, a shiftable actuator slidable with respect to said housing having a pin fitting within said slot, a first ratchet member having ratchet teeth connected to rotate with said driver member, a second ratchet member having ratchet teeth cooperating with the ratchet teeth on said first ratchet member rotatable with respect to said driver member, and a contactor carried by said second ratchet member located in engagement with said fixed contacts.

4. A foot dinnner'switch comprising, a housing, said housing having an open end closed by a back assembly, said back assembly including a plate of insulating material supporting a plurality of electrical contacts, an opening'in said plate of insulating material, a' terminal connected with at least one of said electricalcontacts having at least a portion thereof positioned over said opening, a driver member having end portions journalled for rotation in the opening in said plate of insulating material and in a bearing opening formed in said housing, an actuator slidable with respect to said housing, means forming a pin and slot connection between said actuator and said driver member, a first ratchet member carried by said driver member and rotatable therewith, a second ratchet member carried by said driver member and rotatable with respect thereto, ratchet teeth on said ratchet members located in abutting relationship, and a contact plate carried by said second ratchet member and engaging the fixed contacts carried by said plate of said insulating material.

5. A circuit controller comprising, a housing, a rotatable driver member supported for rotation in said housing, an actuator slidable with respect to said housing, means forming a pin and slot connection between said actuator and said driver member whereby said actuator directly shifts said driver member, first and second ratchet members carried by said driver member having cooperating ratchet teeth, one of said ratchet members being slidable and rotatable with respect to said driver member and the other of said ratchet members being slidable with respect to said driver member but rotatable therewith, fixed contact means, and a contactor rotatable with one of said ratchet members engaging said fixed contact means.

6. A foot dimmer switch comprising, a housing having a pair of compartments the longitudinal axes of which are located substantially at right angles to each other, an opening connecting said compartments, an actuator member slidable through said opening and positioned within said compartments, a push button carried by said actuator member and covering an open end of one of said compartments, a back assembly carrying a plurality of electrical contacts closing an open end of the other of said compartments, a rotatable driver member positioned in one of said compartments, first and second ratchet members carried by said driver member having cooperating teeth, one of said ratchet members being secured to said driver member for rotation therewith and the other of said ratchet members being rotatable with respect to said driver member, a contact plate carried by one of said ratchet members and engaging said fixed contacts, and a pin and slot connection connecting said actuator and said driver member,

7. A circuit controller comprising, a housing, a driver member journalled for rotation in said housing having a portion of circular cross section and another portion of noncircular cross section, a plurality of fixed contacts carried by said housing, a first ratchet member having ratchet teeth carried by said driver member and having an opening of noncircular configuration receiving the noncircular portion of said driver member, a second ratchet member having ratchet teeth cooperating with the ratchet teeth of said first ratchet member and having an opening of circular cross section receiving the circular portion of said driver member, and contact means driven by said second ratchet member and engaging said fixed contacts, and means for rotatably driving said driver member.

8. A circuit controller comprising, a housing, a unitary driver member journalled for rotation in said housing having a shaft portion, a plurality of fixed contacts supported by said housing, a first ratchet member having an internal bore engaging a complementary portion of said driver member shaft portion, said internal bore and said complementary portion being so constructed and arranged as to provide a nonrotatable connection between said first ratchet member and said driver member, a second said ratchet member carried by said shaft portion and rotatable with respect thereto, and contact means driven by said second ratchet member and engaging said fixed con tacts.

9. A circuit controller comprising, a housing, a unitary driver member journalled for rotation in said housing, a plurality of fixed contacts supported by said housing, a

first ratchet member having a noncircular internal bore engaging a complementary section of said driver member whereby said driver member and first ratchet member rotate together, a second ratchet member carried by said driver member and rotatable with respect thereto, and contact means driven by said second ratchet member engaging said fixed contacts.

10. A circuit controller comprising, a housing, a unitary driver member formed of a moldable plastic material journalled for rotation in said housing, a. plurality of fixed contacts supported by said housing, a first ratchet member having a noncircular internal bore engaging a References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Winning July 31, 1928 Grossman et al Mar. 30, 1937 

